Hijacking is the physical theft of a vehicle when it is occupied by an operator or passenger. This crime is usually initiated by an assailant approaching a stopped vehicle, either secretly or under false pretenses. The assailant, by brandishing a weapon or through sheer physical force, proceeds to compel the occupant to relinquish control of the vehicle. The hijacking concludes with the assailant gaining possession of the vehicle, and may involve the abduction of occupants.
Privately owned cars and trucks are especially susceptible to this sort of aggressive criminal behavior, which has been popularly termed carjacking. Citizens typically fail to anticipate violent crimes, and are often unskilled in techniques effective in neutralizing these situations. These incidents also occur rather rapidly, giving the occupant little or no time to react.
Nearly all regions of the United States have reported an increase in the perpetration of violent crimes over the last few years. This general increase in aggressive criminal conduct, coupled with the proliferation of alarms for protecting unoccupied vehicles, has led to an epidemic of carjackings. A need has therefore arisen for a method of protecting the public from this crime.